Suzume Director Has a New Anime Obsession

Makoto Shinkai isn't just a major anime creator, but the director is a major anime fan.

By Evan Valentine

Makoto Shinkai has become a major name in the anime universe, with many anime fans considering the director to be a spiritual successor to Studio Ghibli's Hayao Miyazaki. As it stands, Shinkai has created some of the most well-known and successful anime films to hit theaters with the likes of Your Name, Weathering With You, and most recently, Suzume. Like many other anime creators in the industry, Makoto is a fan of many projects in the medium and recently was more than happy to share one of his picks.

Makoto Shinkai's career first began in 1998, where the director began as an animator on a short film, "The World Be Enclosed". Not simply relegated to the anime industry, Shinkai would then be a part of several video game cut scenes including The Legend of Heroes IIII, Ys II Eternal, and Ef: A Fairy Tale of The Two. While Shinkai has yet to reveal his next project, it's sure to gain a lot of attention in the anime world.

Shinkai Is Off To The Races

Surprisingly, Shinkai has gained an affinity for the franchise Uma Musume Pretty Derby, and its latest movie New Era's Door. Here's what the anime director had to say, "I just watched the movie 'Uma Musume Pretty Derby: New Era's Door' without knowing anything about it, and it was absolutely stunning. It exemplified how cel animation should be, with truly remarkable visuals. The sound, direction, and storytelling were all executed with a confident touch. What moved me the most was the color design. The interplay of light and shadow in the opening underground tunnel scene and the race scenes, which made the view feel narrow and almost suffocating, were electrifying. I was also taken aback by the sudden live performance, but it was incredibly enjoyable, like encountering a different culture. I'm so glad I watched it!"  

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If you have never heard of the bizarre anime series known as Umamusume: Pretty Derby, the first season is currently available to stream on Crunchyroll. Here's how the streaming service describes the series, "This is a tale of a world where "horse girls"; with glorious names and incredible running abilities live alongside humanity. Horse girl Special Week has moved from the country to the city to attend Tracen Academy. There, she and her classmates compete to win the Twinkle Series and earn the title of "The County's #1 Horse Girl."

Want to see what other anime creators recommend? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook for all the latest from Makoto Shinkai and the anime industry. 

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